1984 VW Vanagon - CV Joints Part 1

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This is not my best video, but I share a lot of tips. If you have any, please share in the comments below.
A couple notes:
if you can find a long 12-point socket, buy it. The kind where the 12- point sticks out from the socket will work fine, but if the 12-point part sticks out farther, it will be easier to work around the boot.
When I had the boots squished up closer to the joint instead of pulled out toward the middle of the axle, it was much harder to get the 12-point into the bolt heads.
A good way to pack the joints after they're put together on the axle is normal bearing hand-packing where you hold the joint in 1 hand and with the other, grab some grease and force it up through the joint from the bottom until it starts coming out of the top.
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[@JohnSmith-kr7xd]

What size triple square did you use please? I have an 8mm bit but it seems like it's a little sloppy. Is that normal?

[@jwgmail]

Just looked and mine is also 8mm. I don't know if I said this in the video, but each time you put the triple square into a bolt, give it a couple of whacks on the back of the ratchet or breaker bar to make sure it's completely seated. To me that's a very important step. If there's a ton of crud in the heads of the bolts, a blast of brake cleaner might help. Also, some vans have hex bolts instead of triple square. After tapping the bit into the bolt, I don't think mine had much slop. I bought my triple square off ebay, not a fancy part at all.

[@JohnSmith-kr7xd]

@@jwgmail *Thank you much. I was able to get them off without issue but I was nervous the whole time..lol I feel like either this bit isn't quite right or the whole is actually a 10mm on mine. I found that some are 10mm after (I believe it was) 1999. Maybe somebody changed them out already and the screws that came with it where 10mm. I don't know though. Thankfully this one held up. Don't know that it would have if it was a Harbor Freight bit. Now I'm struggling with lining the wholes back up. I have to do the wheel side first because I can't jack it up and roll it so I dropped the engine side of the cv down in order to get the upper screws in. Pain in the ass trying to line everything up inside the recess. I'm gonna try to poke something skinny and long threw the whole to help line it up. How did you do it?*

[@jwgmail]

@@JohnSmith-kr7xd Glad you got them off. Previous owners are the current owner's best friend and worst nightmare... Unfortunately I don't remember any tips for that first reinstallation bolt. I would have all the bolts in the holes with the weird "torque distribution washers." I probably rested the axle on the bottom of the wheel-side opening and put the triple square bit onto a 6" extension and just have that in my hand with no ratchet or maybe one of these tiny "Titan Micro Ratchets" (one of my favorite tools). Put the bit into the bolt on the top of CV joint and just feel for it. It's probably the biggest pain in the ass of the whole job, unless you strip one of those bolts or break the head off. Man, I don't think I have any bright ideas but sticking something through the holes definitely might help.